


she's just like the weather, can't hold her together

by lionsenpai



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-16
Updated: 2015-10-16
Packaged: 2018-04-26 14:38:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5008558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lionsenpai/pseuds/lionsenpai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Korra asks Kuvira for a lesson, Kuvira asks for something in return.</p>
            </blockquote>





	she's just like the weather, can't hold her together

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shadaras](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadaras/gifts).



> Fic title from "Landscape" by Florence + the Machine, which is a fantastic Kuvira song and helped me a lot through those long sit-down writing sessions.

On a stone bridge white as marble and bedecked with hunched badger-moles on either end, Korra found her amidst Zao Fu's tangle of winding streams and plazas, just as she'd been promised she would. 

Pushing off one of the perched badger-moles, Korra barely contained herself from jogging across to the other side to head her off, her strides quick and long. The lunch tote swung at her side, but she raised her arm and gave a little wave, calling, "Hey!"

Tall and gleaming in the afternoon sun, the woman, Kuvira, looked up from beneath her guard's helmet, one hand resting on the spool of cable at her hip. Even beneath her armor, Korra could pick out the supple strength of a dancer, limber as a willow in the breeze, seemingly unburdened by the steel across her shoulders and chest. That face, cut of angles, opened in surprise for a moment, full lips parting as verdant eyes swept across Korra, recognition flickering somewhere within. Korra tried not to shift, but she couldn't banish the smile from her lips, the pass of those eyes turning all the air in her lungs into a bubbly fizz, rising up to escape in a nervous laugh.

Kuvira stopped and gave a respectful incline of her head, long braid falling over her shoulder. "Avatar Korra. Is there something you need?"

The low timbre of her voice stuck in Korra's mind even after she rose again to full height. Korra reined up before her, wetting her lips and reminding herself of her rehearsed lines, somehow all the more giddy now that the time was finally here. "Kuvira, right?" The way her words came without stumbling delighted her, confidence blooming. "You're a metalbender, aren't you? I think I saw you at Su's dance rehearsal?"

"All of the guard in Zao Fu are metalbenders." Kuvira tapped one of the two coils of cable at her waist. "But I also do dance in Su's trope."

“Right, right,” Korra said, maybe a bit too quick. “Just checking. I thought it was you, but everyone looks the same here in their uniforms. You think you could spare some time for me?”

Korra mirrored her stance by setting her hand on one of the coils of metal cable on her belt and nodding towards the ones at Kuvira’s hips, trusting her to understand. She did, pursing her lips and arching a brow. “To help you with bending? I thought Su was teaching you?”

“She was! You looked like you knew what you were doing, though. And I cleared it with Su! I know you’re on duty, but she said it was fine. And I brought lunch! Which… Is probably cold by now, but should still taste alright. Hopefully.”

"Suyin said it was alright?" Kuvira's mouth flattened, expression going thoughtful. 

Korra nodded, trying not to betray her embarrassment at the memory. The look Su had given her was all thinly veiled interest, asking why and how until Korra ran out of reasonable excuses. Bending, she'd answered, trying not to look at Mako, who'd stared even harder than Su until finally his mouth fell open in acute recognition. 

She'd burned hot as a furnace as Su gave a flippant _sure, I don't see why not_. After all, Mako must have seen that face before, right after she decided she'd liked his lean arms and long, serious face. 

Give it a week, he must have thought, and maybe he was right. That had been all it had taken for her to ask him out.

Before her, Kuvira nodded and glanced past Korra to the tote of vegetable wraps. “You’ve been waiting here for a while?"

Korra laughed again, clearing her throat and trying to ignore the way her stomach flipped at Kuvira’s questioning look. She breathed deep—firebender deep—and then coughed out, “Not that long.”

In truth, it had been close to twenty minutes since she’d arrived here to wait for Kuvira to finally show up. Su had advised her to leave later, but anxious energy got the better of her, and worried she’d miss Kuvira or lose her way coming over, Korra left early, the steaming packed lunch growing cooler as the minutes passed.

But instead of asking her about the food, Kuvira reached up and pulled the metal helmet from her head. “You know, I’ve seen some of your matches with Wing and Wei,” she said, shaking out her dark bangs and tucking her helmet under her arm. “It doesn’t look to me like you need any help.”

Korra floundered for a moment, caught halfway through admiring the angular lines of that profile by the noose-tight realization of what had just been said. Straightening and feeling herself flush in response to the pointed look Kuvira was shooting her, Korra laughed again, a whispy exhale followed by: “You saw those?”

Kuvira’s lips pulled back in an amused smirk, not quite mocking but not entirely innocent. “I am a guard here. I’m supposed to see what goes on in this city. And I’ve seen enough to know you’ve got down more than just the basics.”

Thank the spirits for her dark complexion, her face was on fire. Unable to quite meet that sure gaze, Korra averted her eyes, trying to think of a way to salvage this and coming up empty. “Okay, I know more than the basics,” she admitted all at once, caught out entirely. “I can metalbend, but I saw you bending, and you—Wei and Wing and Su all bend differently. You barely look like you’re an earthbender at all.”

That at least wasn’t a complete lie.

When Korra had passed Kuvira and a couple of other guards passing around a chunk of metal in their free time, she’d been struck immediately by her quick, precise bending. She’d been light on her feet, never quite falling into that stiff earthbender’s stance, and Korra was reminded at once of Bolin, the way he never planted his feet in a fight, always on the move.

That was better suited to firebenders like her or Mako, but Kuvira owned it just as naturally as Bolin, volleying the lead ball off in half the time it took her companions to do the same.

(And if her eyes lingered, it was only because she recognized Kuvira from the dance recital, recognized that lithe dancer’s build even beneath her armor, the strength and flexibility in each limb making every step and twist a thing of grace

“Who’s that?” she’d asked, stopping suddenly enough that Bolin ran right into her.

“Who?” Su craned her neck, squinting, but as soon as she recognized which guard Korra meant, her expression warmed. “Oh, her? One of my dancers—and definitely my best. That’s Kuvira.”

 _Kuvira_ , Korra had repeated within the safety of her own head, tongue sliding along her teeth as she tested the name, imagining the feel of it on her own lips.

“She’s been with us for ages now,” Su continued, motioning for them to follow, and Korra did so with a final look, watching Kuvira shoot the ball at her companion’s chest, the ding of its connection ringing through the air like bell. “I’m sure you’ll run into her more. We’ve got guards all over the city. Even Lin’s police force can’t compete!”)

“It’s different,” Korra repeated, trying not to let her thoughts wander. “And it looks really smooth. I wanted to practice it with you. You know, if that’s alright.”

Kuvira’s mouth tightened, her eyes narrowing for half a second in a flash of irritation Korra didn’t expect, but before she could comment, it was gone, only a thin vein of unhappiness left in its place. After a moment, she said, “I see I’m not the only one who’s been paying attention… If you’ve already thought about lunch, I assume you have a place picked out, Avatar Korra.”

Not understanding where she’d mistepped, Korra hastily amended, “You don’t have to if you’re busy. I was just—”

“No, it’s fine. I’d never live it down if I missed out on a chance to spar with the Avatar.” She gave a fleeting smile. “But I do have a condition.”

“Oh, uh, yeah sure. What it is?”

“If I win, there’s something I want you to do.”

*

The courtyard Korra had decided upon was a pebble garden with tangled, blooming bonsai sprouting from the the soil. It was built like many of the others, its center a square bearing the device of Zaofu in platinum surrounded on all sides by a streambed made of pristine white stone. The clear water bubbled and churned, but aside from that, the air was still and quiet, picturesque and peaceful.

And most importantly, it was far out of the way of roving patrols and the usual crowds.

Korra led Kuvira across a bridge spanning the narrow streambed and beneath a gold-leafed archway, checking over her shoulder for the fifth time to make sure she was still behind here. “Well! Here we are!”

Behind her, Kuvira followed up with a quick survey of the courtyard, humming, “Hmm.”

“What? What’s wrong? It’s not against the rules to do this here, is it?”

“If we leave the earth and the water where it is.” She shot Korra a pointed look, smiling faintly.

Clearing her throat, Korra gave a little laugh. “Right, right. No messing up Su’s nice garden… Thing. Avatar bending is off-limits, so for today, I’m just your average metalbender.”

“Then we should be fine. I assume you have a way you want to do this?”

Kuvira didn’t wait for a response, taking up position on the opposite side of the courtyard. She set her helmet down and began to unbuckle the heavy chestplate and shoulder guards, practiced fingers moving over the latches with ease even as she looked up, waiting for Korra’s response.

Korra cleared her throat again, telling herself not to stare and utterly failing to follow through. “Yeah, uh… I was thinking best of three matches? Kind of like power disc, but we go until someone can’t fight anymore instead of trying to get goals, and uh…”

Metal vambraces fell away to reveal toned forearms, and when Kuvira had set aside all of her armor in a neat pile, she pulled the long sleeved shirt beneath over her head. The sleeveless shirt below was similar to what she’d been wearing at the dance recital, and Korra felt heat creep up her neck once more.

Swallowing, she managed to tear her eyes away, busying herself with the lunch tote in her hands and struggling to hold back her small smile.

“Seems simple enough? Nothing else?”

Korra shook her head, dropping their lunch on the edge of the pebble garden, and when she turned back, Kuvira was adjusting the coils on her hips. She quelled the smile with some effort and wiped her sweating hands on her thighs.  _Right, okay, focus_. “No, not really… Well… Unless you want to tell me what you’re gonna ask for if you win.”

Kuvira’s eyes flickered up from her belt briefly, humor playing across her features for half a second, full lips curled into a smirk. “Is it bothering you that much?”

She gulped. “A little.”

“It won’t matter unless I win.” Satisfied with the state of her equipment, Kuvira kicked off her shoes and placed them neatly by her pile of clothes. “And before we get started, do you need a handicap? I don’t want to be known as the person who took advantage of a beginner, even if that beginner is the Avatar—”

“A  _handicap_?” Just who did she take her for?

Kicking off her boots, Korra slid her heels across the stone, breathing deep. The cables at her hip shivered and grew taut as she widened her stance, shooting from their coils at the first cutting sweep of her arm. Metal flashed in rising spirals around her as she began to spin, momentum flowing up the length of the cables until suddenly she stopped dead and sunk into a firm stance, all the fluidity disappearing as she yanked them back into the coils fast enough to smoke.

She grinned, patting the warm coils, and across from her, Kuvira raised one sculpted brow. Cocking her head slightly, she said, “I’ll take that as a no.”

“I can’t believe you actually just asked if I needed a handicap.”

Kuvira grinned. “I was just trying to be fair.”

“And I’m just trying to tell you it isn’t  _me_  you need to worry about.”

“Big talk. I guess we’ll see, won’t we, Avatar?”

She liked that challenging gleam in her eyes, and, rolling her shoulders, she said, “Korra. Just call me Korra.”

“Alright  _Korra_. Are you ready?”

Kuvira tossed her long braid over one shoulder and fell into her own fighting stance, the thing about her which had first caught Korra’s eye even before the angled face and toned body, the commanding stature and sharp looks. It was magnetic, drawing Korra in by her natural aptitude with bending. She could bend the four elements to her will, but she hadn’t ever seen an earthbender bend like that.

She balanced on the balls of her feet, close together, her hands pulled up to her face. Bolin had taught her to be light on her feet when she’d started pro-bending, dancing around volleys of elements and returning the hits without stopping to breathe, but even he didn’t move like this. It was all firebender, all controlled and precise, all  _Mako_.

A grin broke out on her face, adrenaline pumping one-two through her veins. This was what she lived for, this was what she loved.

“Ready,” she said, trying to imitate the posture. There was a flicker of surprise from Kuvira, but before she could comment, Korra called, “And… Go!”

For all that her stance had taken Kuvira off guard, it was instinct alone that moved Korra in time to avoid the flash of metal swinging wide to catch her about the shoulders. She spun away, unbalanced, but if she’d been in a classic earthbender’s stance, she would have been caught already. Stifling her momentum, she looked up, and Kuvira was already halfway to her, a blur of green cloth and dark hair, the coils at her hips hissing like a pair of viper-hawks.

 _Crap_ , Korra thought, fire sputtering to life in her hands. It was born of muscle memory, her position perfect to fire off a shot and then duck away, but she’d already agreed:  _no Avatar bending_. Suffocating the flames before they could escape her, she went right, stopped only when something snagged her by the ankle and yanked.

The world spun, and her shoulder hit the ground with a hard smack. There was no chance to roll away, a knee finding the small of her back, and the weight of a mountain coming down upon her, shoving her face into the stone. All the air left her in a wheezing exhale of: “ _Woah_.”

Over her, Kuvira shifted, lessening the pressure enough for Korra to draw a real breath. Kuvira’s voice dropped two octaves, and there was no missing the smug self-satisfaction when she bent and said, “I think the first round is mine. Are you sure about not needing that handicap?”

Korra felt the heat of her breath on the nape of her neck, her pulse pounding double-time in her ears, but she still managed, “ _Lucky grab_.”

The second puff of air against her neck did as much as the first, full body shivers prickling Korra’s skin with goosebumps. “I don’t need luck.”

“You gonna get off me and prove it?”

A moment passed where Kuvira didn’t move, but then she rose, her shadow posting long and dark against the stone. Rolling over, Korra squinted against the halo of light around her. Kuvira was  _smiling_ , victory leaving a flush of exertion on her cheeks.

“I intend to.”

Kuvira offered a hand, and Korra accepted it without missing a beat, feeling something warm and light gather in her chest, a flame which threatened to steal away all her breath. Her hand was rough with callous, but very warm, and even after Korra was on her feet, neither of them seemed to withdraw immediately, gazes meeting, Kuvira’s steady and confident.

“I did come here for a challenge,” Korra said, squeezing her hand.

Kuvira answered with a tight squeeze of her own. “You came to the right place.”

They might have stayed like that longer, but there was another round to go, and Korra had no intention of losing. When she pulled her hand away, Kuvira gave a twist of her wrist, and the cool caress of steel drew Korra’s gaze down. There, a cable uncoiled from around her ankle, slowly being drawn back into its holster at Kuvira’s hip.

“Your first attack—”

“Was a distraction,” Kuvira finished for her, nodding. “You look like you’re used to fighting people with these. Republic City’s metalbending police?”

Korra rubbed her chin, trying to picture the move in her head. It was a good takedown, loathe as she was to admit that considering how fast she’d been toppled. She’d have to pay better attention next time if she didn’t want to fall for the same thing twice. “Might have run into them a few times.”

“On not so good terms?”

“You could say that.” She turned to check her shoulder, rolling it to ensure nothing was strained or hurt. There were twinges of pain all over her body from being pulled head over heels, but the most lasting damage was definitely to her pride. “But none of them were ever a match for me, and none of them ever did  _that_. You know, they were all up-front-earthbender-style.”

All the ease bled from Kuvira as though she’d just been hit. Tension locked up her shoulders, and stiffly, she asked, “They were all trained by Suyin’s sister?”

“Lin? Yeah. She works with all of her officers, which is why they can be such a pain. But they’re pretty good at what they do.” Shaking out her arms, she asked, “Who did you learn from? You don’t bend much like Su.”

“So you keep saying,” Kuvira said, her voice suddenly tinged with annoyance, her mouth a thin line. Her eyes narrowed, scrutinizing as she looked Korra up and down, the familiarity from before all gone. “And just what is it that’s so different about my bending, Avatar?”

Korra furrowed her brow. The way she said Avatar just then reminded Korra vaguely of the way the people of Republic City said it now, hissed in cafes and behind hands as she passed on the street. “It’s not a bad thing. You’re fast. Really fast. And with the cables—”

“But it’s not an  _earthbender’s_  technique?”

Korra made a face. “Did I say something wrong?”

For a moment, Kuvira’s lips pulled back in the beginnings of a snarl, but before it could fully form, she grit her teeth together, lips flattening into a tight line.

Averting her eyes, Kuvira spun, turning her back on Korra and stalking to the other side of the courtyard. She fell into her stance, her jaw tight, all that energy from before all focused into one thing: the match. “Nevermind. Are you ready to go again? I’ve still got something to prove, remember?”

“Are you sure, ‘cause you seem a little—”

Kuvira cut her off. “You should probably focus, Avatar.”

“Korra,” she insisted, unable to curb her scowl.

What was up with that? She copied Kuvira’s stance again, her lips pressed flat. If Kuvira wanted her to focus, she’d show her that the last match had been a fluke, a way to stretch her legs with this new technique.

Fire had been instinctual, light and powerful enough to pack a punch. Without the steady foundation a classic earthbending stance provided, pulling up the earth would have been impossible, but she wasn’t meant to be earthbending. She was metalbending, and the cables at her hips were light too, and strong enough to hold should she catch something.

Fast and powerful—just what she liked.

Burning away the questions about Kuvira’s souring mood, Korra’s world narrowed to the next match, the way Kuvira favored her left, the bunched muscles of her thighs. The way she watched Korra with the same level of scrutiny. Korra breathed deep. She could beat her.

She gave the signal to begin, and this time, she was ready for the whiz of cables as they rushed her.

Korra danced backwards, light on her feet, the snap of metal against stone hounding her, and without missing a beat, she batted aside Kuvira’s cables with her own. The steel cracked together like a whip, but Korra twisted, arms circling, and when Kuvira tried to pull her cables back, she found them stuck, Korra’s wrapped around them.

She spared a moment to shoot Kuvira a triumphant grin, and then, with one fluid motion, yanked on her end and pulled Kuvira off balance, rushing forward at the same moment to close the distance between them.

Her recovery was quick, but then, Korra had expected that. Still, without her cables, Kuvira was left with only her fists—and Korra still had the other coil on her hip to work with.

On command, it rocketed towards Kuvira, intending to pay her back by snatching her legs right out from under her.

But with a grunt, Kuvira caught the cable with her own bending, resisting it like a magnet and turning it back on Korra, her braid swinging, fluid as a waterbender.

Korra went right and lunged, catching Kuvira around the waist and pulling her to the ground with a twist. They hit the ground together, rolling from the impact, their cables limp and tangling around them. It was everything Korra could do to keep Kuvira on her back, but with a jerk of her wrist, Kuvira bent Korra’s own cable again, pulling it from the spool until it exhausted its length and yanked Korra along.

“Hey!” she called, righting herself with a roll and pouncing back on Kuvira before she could regain her feet.

The struggle was quick and messy, Korra’s teeth snapping together when Kuvira caught her chin with the heel of her hand. It rattled every tooth in her mouth, but she managed to catch Kuvira’s wrist and pin it by her head, the other one soon following.

Panting, Korra put her full weight on her arms and felt Kuvira strain beneath her grip, trying and failing to break free with brute strength alone. She turned her head into her shoulder to wipe the sweat from her brow and said, “That’s against the rules!”

Kuvira huffed, her hair coming loose, strands of it hanging in her face as she twisted under Korra, her heels scraping for purchase against the stone. “I didn’t realize there were rules.”

Korra scoffed. “What’s your problem? I thought we were getting along earlier.”

“We were.” Her head canted to the side, hands flexing hard enough that Korra could feel the muscles of her forearms tensing, but her mouth clamped shut. Staring stubbornly at one of the bonsai trees, Kuvira finally murmured, “Nevermind. It’s nothing.”

“What did I even  _do_?”

Kuvira shifted beneath her again, words trapped just behind her teeth. She refused to look Korra in the eyes, and again, her words came low and cool. “I don’t need you to remind me I don’t bend like an earthbender. Some of us didn’t get to learn the fundamentals from masters,  _Avatar_.”

Korra’s brow scrunched, defensive at once. “I said it wasn’t a bad thing!”

Kuvira’s eyes flashed, and she wet her lips, holding back a snarl. “I  _know_  you did, and Su says the same thing, but that doesn’t change the fact that  _barely anyone_  bends like a true earthbender anymore. Before Su found me, I grew up around firebenders and waterbenders, and most of the guard here did too.”

“I don’t get it. You don’t like how you bend? But it’s better—”

“But it’s not right! It’s not  _ours_! All of the waterbenders and firebenders coming to the Earth Kingdom… We’re losing our heritage because people like you and Su think it’s  _better_  to let them dilute our teachings with their own. Su won’t even teach traditional earthbending anymore—even though she learned from one of the greatest earthbenders to ever live! She sends our new recruits to me, and they learn to bend like me! They learn to bend  _wrong_!”

With a sudden jerk, Kuvira pulled her hands from Korra’s slack grip, and it occurred to Korra that she was still straddling Kuvira even though the match had ended long ago. With a ragged exhale, Korra jumped to her feet, unsure of what to do with her hands, unsure of how to look. She settled on crossing her arms across her chest and keeping her eyes on the ground.

“Sorry…” Korra murmured, heat rising to her cheeks. “Look, I don’t get what you’re saying. You aren’t weakening yourself by using other styles in your bending. I had to learn all of them, even airbending!”

Kuvira sat up and touched her temple, shaking her head. “But you’re the  _Avatar_. You’re  _supposed_  to use everything! The Earth Kingdom is supposed to be full of earthbenders who bend like earthbenders. How are we supposed to preserve our heritage when no one practices it anymore? It’s bad enough that our queen is more concerned with taxes than she is defending our borders or helping people in need! Now we’re losing our history?

“I’m tired of hearing people say everything is fine just the way it is! The Earth Kingdom is failing, and no one is doing anything about it—even  _you_!”

The accusation was sharp and immediate, and Korra’s shoulders bunched in response. “Well! That’s because…” She hesitated, reaching. “It’s not like  _I_ …”

The excuse fell flat before she could even finish it, and she swallowed hard, the knee-jerk anger falling into the pit of her stomach and twisting her guts into knots. Kuvira was right. Korra had seen the Earth Queen, the way she operated, but her priority had been the airbenders. Even the Red Lotus ranked higher on her list than the Earth Queen, and something about that made her stomach flip with guilt.

Was she turning her back on the Earth Kingdom?

Across from her, Kuvira tilted her head away, trying to pull her hair back into place. She pressed her lips into a thin line, not meeting Korra’s gaze.

Korra looked away as well, clenching her hands into fists and exhaling sharply. “You’re… Right. I haven’t done anything for the Earth Kingdom. I guess it didn’t occur to me I  _needed_  to do something… Tenzin is always telling me to stay out of politics, but…”

“But you helped the Water Tribe settle its civil war. And you’re rebuilding the Air Nomads and their culture. That’s why… I thought you could help us do the same thing.”

A thought occurred to her. “Is that what you were going to ask me to do? If you won?”

Kuvira’s frown was answer enough, the truth of Korra’s guess written out all over her face. “You could do it. You’re the Avatar.”

Guilt roiled within her now, untempered.

“I want to help you, Kuvira. And I will. Just… Not right now. I promised Tenzin I’d help him with the Air Nomads, and he still needs me.”

Kuvira hung her head, palm pressed to her eyes. “...I understand.”

How many times had she been told no? That now wasn’t the time to help her people? Korra remembered what she’d said earlier about Su refusing to even teach her traditional earthbending.

Without raising her head, Kuvira added, “You know, you’re the first person to ever tell me I’m right. About wanting to change things.”

Korra’s toes curled against the stone, feeling useless and struggling to come up with something to respond with. Finally, she managed, “I don’t know why. You care about people.”

“I care about  _my_  people. The rest of the world has you to look out for them.”

“Yeah well, that’s still a work in progress.” Stepping closer, Korra floundered beside Kuvira, uncertain. “Sometimes… It’s hard being the Avatar. Everyone expects something from you. I have to be someone everyone can rely on. But you know… I’m not the only person who could help the Earth Kingdom. I bet you could change things even without me.”

“ _Me_?” Kuvira looked up, surprise clear in her expression.

“Yeah! You’re an amazing bender, and you want what’s best for the Earth Kingdom! Just because you’re not the Avatar doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference!” Gaining momentum, Korra was struck by an idea. “And, you know… I might not be able to do anything about the Earth Queen right now, but I did learn earthbending from a master. I could teach you some—you know, if you want.”

Korra offered her hand, and Kuvira looked for all the world as though she’d never expected it/ Then she slid her hand into Korra’s and squeezed. “...I would like that. Thank you, Ava— _Korra_.”

*

This time it was Kuvira who chose the spot. 

Earthbending was a messy affair, too destructive for the carefully tended gardens of Zao Fu. They left the city behind, trekking up into the mountains until the domes were nothing but a glimmer of light in the valley below them. Every step echoed through the earth beneath them, and when Kuvira finally stopped on a weathered overlook, the rocks polished from wind and rain, the ground bare save for creeping vines and hardy shrubs, Korra didn't waste any time. 

It wasn't that she meant to hurry—quite the opposite. Kuvira's hands were loose and open, her lips tilted, the rapt fixation in her gaze making Korra's skin prickle, her chest swell. Kicking off her shoes and watching Kuvira do the same, Korra fell into the first stance, her feet spread, and truly, there was no where else she'd have rather been. 

"Ready?"

Mimicking her pose opposite her, Kuvira nodded. "I'll follow your lead."

Unsurprisingly, Kuvira was a natural, picking up on the subtle shifts in footing, the solid movements to heft rock from the ground at their feet. Earth was the element of substance, but Kuvira still bent it as easily as though it were water, their movements mirroring one another until it felt almost like they were dancing, the earth itself quaking at their performance. 

The sun crossed the sky above them, but they had eyes only for each other, Korra watching Kuvira, Kuvira watching Korra, even while the mountain around them trembled and cleaved, rocks cut from it and tossed down into the valley below. 

"Just like that," Korra confirmed, a tad breathless. The ground rumbled and split at the twin impact of their heels, unerring and in synch. "Yeah, perfect!"

Sweat collected on Kuvira's brow, but she still smiled, following Korra into the next move without pause. "You've been saying that for an hour. I'm beginning to think you're flattering me."

"Does it count if it's the truth?"

Kuvira's heel scrapped across the ground, leaning into the next move, so that she was close enough for Korra to touch if she reached out. The ground rose at their insistence, and Kuvira said, "There you go again."

Instead of backing away into the next stance, Korra took a step forward, planting her foot and straightening up. It was copied, and when Kuvira rose as well, they stood nearly face to face, those few crucial inches Kuvira held over her forcing Korra to tilt her head up. She wiped her brow with the back of her arm, but this time she did it alone, verdant eyes tracking her every move. 

"I was thinking we could take a break," Korra explained. "You've got just about everything I've shown you. I'm running out of things to teach!"

"I'm used to dancing with a partner, and you make a wonderful partner, Korra."

Korra gave a flash of teeth, her eyes flickering down to Kuvira's lips as she spoke. Forcing herself to turn away, she found the lunch tote, forgotten amongst the shrubbery. The wraps within had to be icy by now, probably stale, but they were all Korra had brought, and she was way past famished. 

Heat gathered in her palms as she strode towards the bag and picked it up, warmth radiating through the cloth. Glancing over her shoulder she said, "Now _you're_ flattering _me_."

Kuvira gave a clipped exhale, humor flashing in her expression. She moved closer, tossing her braid over her shoulder and beginning to work the tension from her body with some stretches. "Perhaps... But I am... Very grateful to you for this." Brushing dark bangs behind one ear, Kuvira said, "It means a lot to me... And what you said earlier. About me making a change. I won't forget that. This won't change the Earth Kingdom, but at least now I'll be able to teach others what you've shown me. It's something."

 Steam curled from within the tote, and trying to hide her grin, Korra turned to face Kuvira. "Yeah! All the guards could learn from you! Now come on, we should eat these before they get cold— _again_."

She smiled. "Right."

The ground was bare, torn and sundered by their bending, but at the edge of the overlook, they sat side by side, the sun warm on their backs. Before them laid Zao Fu and all of the valley it commanded, endless expanses of green fields disrupted only by the jutting slopes of the surrounding mountains and the platinum domes of the city itself. Evening was fast approaching, but neither of them hurried, picking at their food in comfortable silence. 

Korra swung her legs over the edge, heels smacking against the rock as she ate, and even though the wraps were as stale as she'd expected, she found she didn't care, not one bit. 

It was Kuvira who spoke first, wiping her hands on her thighs from the meal. "You know, we didn't get a chance to have our third match."

It took a moment for Korra to understand her. "Oh, right!"

Those bouts were the main reason she'd approached Kuvira at all, but she'd so easily lost track of them. Even now, the urge to return to them waned, smothered by the way Kuvira sat so close, the way her eyes lingered when Korra wasn't looking. She loved bending more than anything, but now? 

"If it's okay with you, maybe we could finish it another time? We could always do this all again... I mean, I'd like to... If you aren't busy. I could even bring lunch again!"

Kuvira turned to face her completely, her skin a warm bronze in the gold hues of the setting sun. Slowly, she said, “That almost sounds like a date, Avatar.”

A thrill ran up Korra's spine, but she didn't look away. “It's just Korra, remember?”

Kuvira nodded, leaning closer. “Of course, Korra... I’m sure I could find the time for you."

Korra's eyes traced Kuvira's parted lips, her heart hammering. Licking her lips, she leaned in as well, the feel of Kuvira's breath warm against her flesh. "And, uh... If you wanted... Maybe..." 

"Yes?"

"Could I...?"

Kuvira's fingers brushed against Korra's, her eyes heavy and lidded. "Yes."

With a final sharp exhale, Korra closed the distance between them, putting aside the thoughts of the next time they'd fight and losing herself in kissing Kuvira, in sage and salt and soft lips which pressed so delicately against her own.

**Author's Note:**

> alternative title: Avatar Korra Unwittingly Sticks Both Feet In Her Own Mouth To Get A Date, But Oh Spirits At What Cost
> 
> She's definitely going to have So Much Regret over this conversation later, but I really wanted to explore Kuvira's whole schtick with the firebenders and waterbenders in the Earth Kingdom since that was never addressed like... Ever. Had a lot of fun with this piece, and I hope you enjoyed!


End file.
